non-verbal communication

Most of us think we’re intentional about our communications, but we’re actually not – at least, not very often. The reason is that we spend a lot of time thinking consciously about what we’re trying to say, but we don’t often spend much time thinking about how we’re going to say it. We miss the […]

Those interested in the study of body language had a fascinating opportunity this week to study two completely different approaches to power through non-verbal communication: the Pope and Donald Trump. The Pope, as all the world must know, was visiting the US for the first time, and Mr. Trump was all over the media, as […]

How do you walk into a room, out of a meeting, or onto a stage? You probably have some parental or authority figure in your past who told you to worry about your posture, but how you carry yourself is more important and more subtle than just standing up straight when you go on a […]

We’re all looking for an edge. Maybe your competition is tougher than ever. Maybe you’re facing an audience that you know going in will be a tough sell. Maybe your clients have been demanding more for less ever since 2008 and you’re running out of wiggle room. So think about the next meeting, or presentation, […]

We normally don’t think at all – at least, in the casual sense of the word “think” – about where we are in space, or how we’re gesturing, or what kind of impression we’re making on the people around us. Most of that activity is left to our unconscious minds most of the time. So […]

The second step to brain mastery and powerful communication follows directly on from the first. Now that you’ve taken inventory of your gestures, it’s time to learn to control and shape them. Here’s the surprise: once you take charge of your own gestures with the right techniques, you’ll be well on the way to controlling […]

Improving your presentation skills can be hard work. Changing behavior takes time. But there are some easy things you can do right now that will make a concrete difference in your presentation success rate. Some are physical, some are about a change in attitude. But they’re all practical, simple, and immediate. Get started now! 1. […]

Rehearsal is a practice more honored in the breach than the occurrence, and it should be the other way around. People wiggle out of rehearsal in a variety of ways. They say, “I’ll just wing it.” That’s usually fatal, and ends up turning a modern virtue — the casual approach — into a sin — […]

This blog is the fifth in a series of blogs on people that have added something important to the world of communications. Today, my gratitude is for Paul Ekman. The series is personal and partial, but I welcome nominations for those you think I’ve missed. I’m grateful to these people because understanding how we communicate […]

For my final blog in this series on body language “quick takes,” I’m going to answer the question I get asked most often by interviewers, audiences, and fellow speaking coaches: how do you show up with authenticity? And what about the irony of practicing that authenticity? Doesn’t that mean that any such ‘authenticity’ will be […]

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